2027: MURIC demands Muslim governors in South West

2027: MURIC demands Muslim governors in South West

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has called on political parties in the South West to field Muslim candidates in the 2027 gubernatorial elections, saying the region is overdue for religious balance in governance.

In a statement issued on Monday, August 25, 2025, by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the faith-based advocacy group noted that all six South West states have been governed by Christians over the last six years, creating what it described as a “religious imbalance.”

“With the exception of Osun and Ekiti, gubernatorial elections will take place in the South West in 2027. Ekiti election will be held in July 2026, while that of Osun State will take place in August 2026,” the statement read.

MURIC lamented that Muslims in the region have been largely excluded from both executive and administrative structures of government, a situation the group warned undermines the principles of democracy.

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“This development has been characterized with the exclusion of Muslims at both executive and administrative levels of governance. This, obviously, exposes the soft underbelly of democracy as it robs it of its most crucial component, namely, participation and inclusion. We submit that there can be no genuine democratic practice where a large section of the population is excluded from participating,” Akintola stated.

The group urged political parties to correct what it described as years of marginalization by giving Muslims the opportunity to contest for governorship positions in the upcoming elections.

“We therefore advise political parties in the region to pick Muslims as their gubernatorial candidates. This will serve as a guarantee to secure Muslim votes in their gubernatorial elections,” the statement concluded.

2027: MURIC demands Muslim governors in South West